Artist

Artists learn how to produce art for games, from initial concepts to final in-game assets. The artist curriculum covers a wide range of core art skills, while also leaving room for students to develop their own particular area of expertise.

The Artist program at PlaygroundSquad will teach you everything you need to know to work as an artist in the game industry, covering everything from the basics in 3D modelling and texturing to concept development, animation, and more. Throughout the education you will have a high degree of freedom in shaping your own assignments, letting you immerse yourself and develop skills in whatever area of game art is your passion.

Curriculum

The Artist curriculum assumes no prior knowledge or experience in 3D modelling and as such starts with a crash course in 3D basics, which lays the groundwork for future courses. After the brief introduction to 3D an increased focus is put on the practical aspects of production, the technical limitations of working with a game engine, and creating functional art assets on a deadline - all while the technical foundation is continually built upon. At the end of each semester, you will be able to prove your mettle and put your new skills to the test in each of the game projects.

Projects

The responsibility of the artists in a game project at PlaygroundSquad is to create the visuals for the game; environments, characters, animation, effects, interface - and everything in between. A project group usually contains four to six artists, who work together to produce a consistent and appealing look for the game, but also collaborate with programmers and game designers to make sure the art and the game mechanics work well together.

Artists primarily work in Autodesk Maya and Adobe Photoshop to create their assets, but are encouraged to use whatever software they are comfortable with or would like to learn - all in the name of developing the skills needed to put together an awesome (and awesome-looking) game.

With PlaygroundSquad being part of PlayStation First, artists will also be able to develop their game projects for PlayStation hardware. This provides valuable first-hand knowledge and experience of production pipelines and hardware limitations, giving our artists a head start for their internships.

Careers

After graduating as an artist you will be ready for an entry-level artist position within your field of choice, or as a 3D generalist. Students are encouraged to develop skills within the fields where they excel or have the greatest passion, and subsequently pursue careers at studios or positions which fit that particular profile. Many graduates however begin their careers as 3D generalists and mature into more specialized positions as their career develops.

Applying

No prior knowledge or experience in 3D modelling software or digital art is required to apply to PlaygroundSquad as an artist. We welcome all applicants with a passion for games, art and aesthetics, regardless of experience with the tools of the trade. While experience with art software or game engines is meriting, we also highly value artistic skills demonstrated in analogue mediums such as drawing, painting or sculpting.